Workshops
For over ten years Jos Houben, Oria Puppo, and Emily Wilson have been creating bold, funny and accessible theatre pieces. La Panoplie was born from this encounter. Today, they share their creative tools through workshops open to a wide audience.
All our workshops are bilingual French/English
The Gag Factory
Jos Houben
12-16 October - 5 days - 25 hours
This workshop opens the door to the wide world of slapstick, the gag, the pratfall. Starting from the conflicts and confusions of everyday life, we will explore the mishaps and accidents that inevitably provoke laughter. Jos HoubenJos Houben, an expert in the art of slapstick, will guide participants in acquiring the tools of the genre and applying these mechanisms to build short comic scenes and sketches
Workshop open to 18 professionals and non-professionals
Tréteaux de France in Aubervilliers (20min. from central Paris on the metro)
Design in Motion
Jos Houben, Oria Puppo, Emily Wilson
4 - 8 January - 5 days - 25 hours
This workshop, at the crossroads of performance and set design, is open to both actors and set designers, and offers a five-day immersion in practice exploring the dialogue between body, space, and play. Through hands-on exercises, participants will experiment with working methods that generate dramaturgy and stage action from physical space — and, in turn, design scenographic spaces from movement and play.
Workshop open to 18 participants (performers, set and costume designers, etc.)
Tréteaux de France in Aubervilliers (20min. from central Paris on the metro)
Writing for Slapstick
Jos Houben
22 - 26 February - 5 days - 25 hours
A practical toolbox for writing physical comedy: from gag to routine, from routine to sketch, from sketch to scene. We will spend the week writing, building from believable situations and stakes, with writing that happens in action, in space, through improvisation. We will also analyze filmed material to learn how to watch, transpose, and create.
Workshop open to 15 professional artists
Tréteaux de France in Aubervilliers (20min. from central Paris on the metro)
Embodied Presence
Jos Houben - Emily Wilson
20 au 22 March - 3 days - 15 hours
Whether you're an artist, teacher, or business professional, develop your confidence and presence in front of an audience. Through tools drawn from theatre and exercises inspired by the Feldenkrais Method, participants will learn to manage stage fright, move beyond anxiety-driven reactions, and occupy space with calm and clarity.
Workshop open to 15 participants, from all professional backgrounds
Tréteaux de France in Aubervilliers (20min. from central Paris on the metro)
What the Farce
Jos Houben - Oria Puppo - Emily Wilson
May/June 2027 (dates to be confirmed) - 10 days - 50 hours
Satire, mistaken identities, and slamming doors: farce is a high-intensity art form. From medieval theatre to Feydeau by way of Dario Fo, we will explore foundational texts and principles of performance, searching for the laws that govern the style in order to create our own hilarious, irreverent and high octane contemporary farces.
Workshop open to 18 professional artists Registration opens October 1st
Tréteaux de France in Aubervilliers (20min. from central Paris on the metro)
Landscapes of Laughter
Jos Houben - Emily Wilson
29 March-9 April - 10 days - 50 hours
An in-depth exploration of the principles behind the different styles of comic theatrical writing — from clown and the absurd to slapstick, Commedia dell’arte and Bouffon. Starting from physical play, we will discover the driving forces behind each style, then move through improvisation toward writing short scenes.
Workshop in English open to 20 participants.
In collaboration with Le Samovar
What participants say about our workshops
"Many thanks! The perspective on offer is immensely fascinating and truly rare. What a joy to share these delightful discoveries… To be repeated again and again!" — participant, slapstick workshop - participant, slapstick workshop March 2026
"Thank you so much for the generosity in your teaching and for the importance you place on humanity in the art you transmit… It makes me want to work like this all the time!" — participant, clown workshop January 2026
"Remarkable teaching." — participant, clown workshop January 2026
